December 6, 2016 (Campo) - A celebration of life is planned for longtime Campo resident Carol Yates on Dec. 9. Mrs. Yates died in her home on November 13, 2016, at the age of 85.

She is remembered as an active auxiliary member of the John Finn VFW Post 2080 and of the Mountain Empire Homemakers Club. She worked for many years at the historic Dogpatch bar -- which burned down in 1987 -- in the Canyon City neighborhood of Campo. In recent years, she was a well-known face at senior lunches at the community center in Campo.

Mrs. Yates was born Carol Leedom on December 3, 1930, to parents Kathryn and Corwyn W. Leedom, in Brawley, Calif., spending most of her girlhood in San Diego. She graduated high school in Claremont and went to work as a transcriptionist at a local newspaper. She later worked for Standard Insurance for 8 years.

She married William Joseph Scott in 1949, and the couple had a son, Martin William Scott. William J. Scott died in 1966.

She married Aubrey Yates in 1970 and the couple lived in El Cajon and Jamul before settling in Campo, Calif., in 1976. The couple lived in Campo for the remainder of their lives. Aubrey Yates died in 2003.

She is survived by her son, Marty Scott; niece, Cindy Rhodes; three grandchildren: Shannon Reschone, Dustin Scott-Ostrander and Zachary Scott; and four great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Donald Leedom.

She will be interred in a ceremony at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery on Dec. 8 at 1 p.m.

Her celebration of life will be held at the Mountain Empire Community Center – located at 976 Sheridan Road in Campo -- on Friday, Dec. 9, at 2 p.m. Friends and family will be invited at that time to share their memories of her.

Questions about the celebration may be addressed to Bill Jones at (602) 625-3316 or email him at biljones@aol.com.